I can't believe this place was under my nose all these years and I didn't realize what an awesome treasure this place is!! But now that I know, I'm so excited and hope to visit again soon! So they have a store side where you will find delightful spices, tea pots etc... and then they have the tea room where you can sit and enjoy a pot of tea in delightful little tea cups and so much more, including pastries. I almost want to keep this place a secret but I won't because it's a gem in our city. Service was helpful and friendly. read more

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I love this cute shop filled with unique gifts, foods, and tea. I find way too much stuff every time I go - chocolate, mugs, even local sauces. I love looking at all the different teas and finding new favorites. The staff is usually very friendly and helpful. I love to stop by when I'm in the area. read more

Awesome and interesting selection! Syrups, sauces, salsas, salts, chocolates, and a host of other interesting items. Local items mixed in with others and they also have a "Made in Alaska" table up near checkout. The inventory is amazing. Unlike the spice aisle at the supermarket, these spices are spread out, which makes viewing much easier on the eyes. They also have samples to sniff. This was very helpful in trying to determine the spice profile of ancho chile verse mole poblano (of course I liked them both and both ended up going home with me). There are two sizes of spices. There are packets and jar size. The packets are more of a sample size. Maybe a little over a tablespoon. The jars were around If they had samples of the sauces and salsas, I would probably have bought three times as many things. Great music. Grunge, mixed with punk, mixed with rock. Cafe serving tea attached to the shop. Lots of teas and a few pastries. Seating area as well. Bring your laptop and get some work done. Service was okay. No one checked in to see if I was okay or to ask if I needed any help. My hands became full and I asked if I could place some items on the counter and they seemed sort of weird about that. They have gift cards, but no loyalty program that I could find on their website. read more

Summit Spice & Tea - Salsa and sucj - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Anchorage, Alaska

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Love this place, the ambiance is nice, its quiet and smells great and I think the cafe is brilliant. Employees are knowledgeable and helpful. You can try any tea on their wall and the cost for a brewed pot is reasonable depending on what tea you want to try. One thing I will say is this is a high end price range kind of establishment, I pay about $20-$35 for 4/5 ounces of loose leaf tea in a take home tin. It can stretch a ways if you make small cups and brew the same leaves multiple times, but the products they have for sale, not just the tea, are a luxury buy in my opinion. read more

My go to for when I need spices, esp if I don't need a whole expensive bottle but just a pinch for a new recipe. Wide assortment of spices, blends, oils, sauces, chocolates, even popcorn. They also have a great variety of teas, as well as kettles, cups, and tea ware. Attached to the shop is a nice tea room. read more

What a great place. Was meeting a friend for tea. Had no idea it was a store and cafe. So many choices. I actually has mulled cider and it was fantastic. Lots of great gift options. Chocolates, jams, syrups, spices, hot chocolate, of course tea. Definitely worth a visit. Some stuff seemed really expensive but others reasonable. read more

Summit Spice & Tea - Cafe - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Anchorage, Alaska

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There's no other business in town quite like Summit Spice & Tea. Despite the name, they have a slew of other goodies: chocolates, chutneys, marinades, jellies and jams, honey, and locally made Wild Scoops ice cream! The store is well-organized and easy to navigate. Browsing the shelves is enjoyable in itself. When I went today they had a large display in front of the registers featuring some Alaska-made items. Great place to get some gifts for the foodie in your life. Spices are labeled alphabetically which makes it easy to find what you want. Some of the spices have "tester" jars that allow you to smell the spice. The spices come in glass jars and also small bags in case you want to try something without committing to a full size. The tea room next door is lovely. I stopped by to have some of the mulled apple cider, which was delicious, so I ended up buying a bag of the mulling spices. Some L'Aroma pastries like croissants and cookies are available, although the selection was pretty slim when I visited. There's plenty of tables and the classical music in the background makes the atmosphere relaxing. This is also where they have "First Friday" events showcasing local artists' work. Overall a wonderful place. read more

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I am going to up this place a star. I've mostly cut coffee out and replaced it with tea and came here to look at the earl grey, which I absolutely love with bergamot. There are a few different flavors of earl grey, and I chose the organic and it is perfect. I got some for my sister too since she likes good earl grey with bergamot as well. What I also love about this place is the fact that there is more to it than just tea, though that's the main aspect. I get chocolates, sauces, smoked salmon gifts, and spices just to name a few. I even got my pup a moose antler chew that he's enjoying. Will come again and will enjoy more tea. read more

Summit Spice & Tea - Bel can't wait for his good boy treat. - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Anchorage, Alaska

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I love Summit Tea. I used to come here almost everyday after high school to study, chat with friends, or just read a book. Even now, it's still the go to place to reunite with old friends or teachers. There are two sections to the store: a shop where you can buy tea, spices, jams, chocolate, etc. and a cafe section with at least 50 different type of teas and some pastries. Some of my favorite teas are the Sunny Mountain, solstice, and mate carnival. They also let you smell as many teas as you like before choosing which is fun. read more

Summit Spice & Tea - Tea with Hungry Hoolia - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Anchorage, Alaska

Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!!!! I'm am SO gloriously happy that I found Summit; this place is a foodie's dream. They have an endless supply of fabulous loose leaf teas and spices from the world over. Since I moved to Alaska, I feel as though I'm living in a culinary wildnerness. After 3 decades of easy access to the fine multicultural markets in Philadelphia, the transition to Alaska has been rough for me. When I walked into Summit, I realized that perhaps there is yet hope for my weary taste buds. Summit rivals any store in NY, Philly or DC for it's selection of tea and spice. They have a nice smattering of olive oil, vinegar and fine chocolate. They also have some nifty tea ecoutrements. What's even cooler about Summit is they have tasting classes that are very reasonably prices. I highly suggest signing up for their email list so you can get the skinny on all their classes. Serious coolness! read more

This afternoon , a lack of assistance and customer service has made me drop my four star review to three. I stopped in today for several items... tea of course, some items needed for our Christmas party and a couple gifts as well. The usual front corner that has been packed with dozens upon dozens of chocolate bars was so minimal, it could've filled a mere two shelves if they would have packed them together like I'm use to seeing. I was going to buy a bar sweetened with stevia until I saw that they wanted more more than $8 for very small bar. I meandered through, grabbing a few specialty items here and there, slowing making my way to the tea. There was a young man filling tea for another lady and I stood there waiting... and waiting... and waiting. There were two gals at the front register talking horribly loud about eyebrows and trends, I looked over thinking someone would come over and nothing. I continued to wait, the young man looked at me nervously a couple times but didn't say a word and didn't ask anyone to come assist me. Another young man walks out from the back and doesn't say a word. The girls continue to chatter loudly, walking around the registers, then near me and still no acknowledgement whatsoever. At this point, I've been in the store for about 25 minutes and not a single person has said a word to me. There was only one other customer in the store that was getting tea at the moment I was waiting as well. The one young man finally looks up at me and asked if he can help me. I received my tea and thanked him with no response in return. I made my way to the registers and felt quite disappointed in the lack of lovely customer service I have been receiving at Summit for years now. I briefly thought about how I use to chit chat with a couple others that have worked there over the years and hope that this hasn't become the norm. read more

Love this place. Great selection of loose leaf teas & anything and everything tea drinking related! They've also got blooming teas. Extremely happy with everything I've purchased here! read more

Specialty Spices here's the place to come! You need Green Cardamom and Whole Star Anise to make that special Gin cocktail or meal? Ha Ha Here! What about green and pink peppercorns to add to your St. Patrick's corned beef to up-spice the store bought spice pack it comes with? (The pink peppercorns go good in a different Gin cocktail) I don't know the tea side but I know the spice side. They also have spicy chocolate bars. If you need a certain spice, generally speaking they have it. I have been stumped a few times here in Anchorage. I needed fennel pollen for a smoked scallop recipe, no where in town -- I had to go online. read more

Summit Spice & Tea - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Anchorage, Alaska

This place has a wonderful selection of harder to find goods for cooking. Looking for a specific kind of truffle oil, or perhaps a British import of syrup? This is the place to go. Their tea selection is fairly expansive as well, with a wide variety of teas from various origins. Atmospherically the store side plays out like a cooking curio shop, with a focus on tea. The cafe side is a bit sparse in decor, but reads like a small shop just outside an arts campus. Not too bad at all, but could be laid out better. The tea served is the same varieties that are sold in the shop, and I find them delightful. Recommend the Earl Grey variants available. However, their prices are excessive, especially for the amounts you get ON THE STORE SIDE. This is important to note because the cafe is very decently priced ($4 for a pot of tea), while in the shop prices are high ($8 for a sample tea pack). Individual Stat Breakdown: Service - 5/5, Food/Drink - 5/5, Decor - 3/5, Prices - 3/5. Would recommend for those looking for niche Euro products for cooking, those looking for a good quality pot of tea for not that pricey, or those looking for a nice study spot to get some work done. read more

Summit Spice & Tea - Earl Grey with White Tip Flowers, a smoother blend with hints of floral highlights. Darker with an after flavor of citrus. - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Anchorage, Alaska

I stopped in here for a salt block, which fortunate they had (one, and not cheap). The store looks attractive and teas and spices are lined along the walls in an orderly manner. The store was having some computer issues, and I assume that caused the frazzled and confused state of the staff. Maybe I visited in a bad day. I was happy to escape with my salt block but If I need teas in the Anchorage area, I might give them another look. read more

I stopped in last week, looking for accessories for olive oil bottles. I try to shop local whenever possible, and wanted to give them a try before going to Amazon. I walked in, checked every sing aisle and display, and the young man and woman behind the counter couldn't be bothered to stop their conversation to ask if I needed help. Heck, they didn't even acknowledge my presence, and I was in for at least 10 minutes. (However, I did find out that they are both interested in acting. Hooray.) Needless to say, I have no plans to return. Why make the effort when I can shop from home? Amazon may not give a s**t about me, but apparently Summit Spice and Tea doesn't, either. read more

We went in looking for some tea that we couldn't find else where. Asked employees about ingredients (they are not listed on the prepared tea or the labels they put on bulk) and they were very bothered to help. They also couldn't answer and told me I would need to contact the warehouse and walked away. I tried to look on the website for a number it only listed the stores number. When I then asked they again were bothered to help. I bought some matcha and lavender, the matcha is poor quality (I got the premium) but the lavender worked for my needs. read more

Many spices and most importantly, some are locally made. I appreciate the fish blends for rubbing or baking that are available. I visited this open and inviting store on this visit to check out the tea selection. If you like black tea, or tea with citrus in it you are in luck. There's plenty. But if you like herbal teas without all the foo foo flowers or citrus, the selection is very limited. I did select a roobios tea, but it was rather bland. I really don't like adding sugar or milk to my tea so I prefer a good flavor. I'll keep searching.... read more

I went there some time in the spring. There is quite a good variety of spices and teas to choose from but the customer service was horrible , At first because I had to insist for help at the beginning and as soon as I walked in the store the man at one of the registers could not keep his eyes of me. Maybe he is not used to seeing minorities in their store or perhaps had other assumptions ? Only he can answer that. I was quite uncomfortable and could not wait to pay and leave. Never coming back again. read more

If you're looking for some great loose leaf teas, then Summit Spice & Tea is definitely for you. They have a variety of different black, white, green, oolong, chai, rooibos, mate & herbal teas! If you're looking for a good selection of rooibos & mate teas they have some great blends. Banana Nut Mate is my favorite of the mate teas. You can also blends the rooibos teas to make some delicious combinations. A great caffeine free alternative, for example, to Earl Grey De La Creme would be to mix Rooibos Vanilla w/ Rooibos Earl Grey. read more

I love this place! Summit is one of my first stops every time I come to Anchorage. I usually come with a long list of necessities from lots of friends in Kodiak who all feel the same way. The atmosphere and customer service are both awesome. There are usually samples of different spices, oils, etc. which has definitely helped me find some favorites that I wouldn't have thought to try. Some of my go-tos are the smokehouse steak rub, black truffle salt, & the tongass game rub. Even their taco seasoning is impressive! I highly suggest coming here and stocking up for your own spice cabinet and awesome gifts! read more

This review is for the café side of the store. I enjoy coming down here to sample their pastries, quiches, and of course, the huge list of teas that are available hot or iced. The seating area is very cozy and is popular with groups of people specifically book club groups, students and meeting with business associates or acquaintances. It can get noisy at times, but the pleasant atmosphere and the friendliness of the employees makes this an enjoyable place for me to get some studying done for a couple of hours. The cinnamon rolls as well as their spinach and Swiss cheese quiches are absolutely delicious and their quiches change every week on a menu in the back written on a blackboard. However, the real stars of the menu are undoubtedly the teas. The tea menu is about three pages long and filled with different flavors on both sides of each page. Some of the teas I've tried here are the Moroccan Mint, afternoon spice, blueberry lemon green tea, and their breakfast blend. It's only $3.00 for any specialty tea flavor in a 16oz. to-go cup which is a pretty good deal for the quality of the products. A lot of the other teas are imported products from China as well as unique food gift ideas and chocolates imported from Europe. Don't forget to try their hot cocoas as well. The salted caramel and triple chocolate hot cocoas are some of my favorites. The Wi-Fi here is fast and free and there are plenty of outlets to connect your laptop or portable device. This place is in a good centralized location at a strip mall in midtown behind the Walmart (literally night and day) and across from the Black Cup on Benson. This is a good alternative for anyone who doesn't drink coffee or wants to try something different besides coffee for a change but still want the café scene to hang out or study for a couple of hours. read more

Summit Spice offers local access to a wide variety of teas, spices, chocolate, and a nice variety of gourmet accoutrement and condiments. Prices range from low to high, depending. Tea, generally affordable. Luxury cooking items like imported balsamic vinegar are higher. They also offer every tea accessory you might want, from infuser balls to teapots and mugs, in a variety of styles to suit different tastes. I really like the staff, who are knowledgable, energetic, and friendly. Don't know what you want? They'll offer you recommendations. Don't know what you like? They'll offer tasters. They usually have ready tasters every day showcasing different teas, which I like because it forces me out of me out of my green/earl gray/mint ruts. The setup is nicely organized, the decor eclectic, bright, and enticing. The attached tea room is a good place for working or reading, though the kitchen table and uncushioned seating isn't conducive to much lounging. They always have good music at a good level--somehow, they even make punk-pop classics seem like appropriate tea room fare, a nice change from the electronic lounge other places have (which I also enjoy). Now that I've discovered I enjoy the work vibes there, I'll be trading my kitchen table for on one theirs more regularly. read more

Summit Spice & Tea has opened a sister store in Midtown with a variety of goodies. They offer just about every spice you can think of, including their own blends, as well as specialty chocolates and tea blends. The smallest packet of tea goes for $7, so I'm not totally sold on them yet, but am interested in partaking one of their "tea tastings." There was also several specialty food items, such as olive oil, balsamic vinegars, chutneys, marmalade, jams and lemon curd. Interestingly enough, they offer gourmet popcorn seeds that explode into colors like red and black; and, they have seasonings for popcorn as well, of course. Most importantly, they offer Tonia's biscotti, which is my favorite locally-made confection. I wish they stocked the "minis", but they mainly sell the larger ones. read more

My favorite things: melon pear white tea coconut green tea unalaska spice rosemary blend (can't remember the name) read more

This is the kind of shop that any food lover could accidentally spend an hour in. There's chocolate, candies, jams, sauces, spices, chutneys, teas, hot cocoa, drink mixes, local treats, and more. I wouldn't say customer service is divine and the prices are high, but there are few merchandisers selling these products in Anchorage. For that, and for the great tea collection, they get 4 stars. read more

When Summit Spice was a tiny little spice shop on Huffman Road it was awesome.. but now that they've more than tripled their size in their new location off of Benson (plus added a tea room).. I think they are reallllllllly awesome! A reminder to locals who enjoy Summit's incredible spices: Don't forget to either bring in your own container for them to fill, or just have them put the spices you want in their little zip-lock baggies until you can get them home & place them in their bottles. Sure saves money. :0) I agree that their gourmet sauces, jams, and chocolates are pricey, but the spices are equivalent to any fine spice shop in the lower-48. I love the home blends they come up with, especially "Eureka" which is incredible in pizza dough & Italian dishes! Fun classes and tasting events there too. read more

I can't say enough wonderful things about this locally owned tea and spice place! But, it's not just tea and spice, so don't be fooled! Here you can buy olive oils, vinegars, jams, specialty chocolate, salsas, yummy mustard's, Spanish olives....and so much more. On "buy local" - the day after Black Friday - they will gift wrap any of your purchases for free in sturdy, decorated boxes. On any other given day, they often have samplers out. This is the ONLY place I purchase my spices. You can get your general gamut of spices, but they have so many other types of things that you won't find in your typical grocery store LIKE: ground chipotle/ancho, truffle salt, dried ghost peppers...and it all tastes so fresh! One thing I particularly love about this place is that you can buy spices by the ounce. No committing to an entire bottle if you don't want to. When the shop ran out of my favorite olive oil, they put me on a call list and called me two weekends in a row to let me know that although my exact olive oil wasn't in, its flavored counterpart was. I mean, that right there is amazing customer service. Love ya'll read more

This is the best place to buy tea and spices in town, hands down. I really enjoy sitting in their cozy cafe space when it's cold outside, enjoying a mix of vanilla and cinnamon rooibos. I live out of state now, and waited until I came home for a visit to stock up on teas and spices. The only thing I'd change is that they need to take down their Christmas decorations immediately after Christmas. Alright, this year they took down the ornaments, but they've had the same fake pine garland up for like, two years. It's obviously a Christmas decoration, even if it doesn't have any ornaments on it. That needs to GO by New Years! read more

One of the few places I entrust to get my tea. Customer service friendliness level is spotty, but better more often than not. Their teas are pretty reasonably priced, and you get a discount if you buy in larger quantities. Every time I come here, I inevitably end up spending ten or twenty bucks on bags of tea, and my tea drawer is overflowing now. They have lots of other tea knickknacks, spices, candies and stuff. Some of it is quite overpriced -- their unbleached tea bags are more expensive than what I ended up ordering through Amazon. But I'll always come here for my tea. There's so many to choose from, I end up buying more than I end up getting through in between visits. read more

Heaven. If you are looking for tea, spices or fun food items, you have to stop at Summit Spice & Tea Co. From normal to rare, Summit has it all. read more

The freshest spices and so much cheaper than the grocery store. I will never buy spices again from the grocery store or Costco again. Theirs are so much more flavorful probably because they are so much fresher. What a lovely little store and they always have something cool that will catch your eye. Being that I LOVE to cook this store is wonderful for me. I look forward to browsing everytime I need a little sumpin' sumpin. Thank you Liz your customer service is the best. read more

Always loved this shop and visited frequently, but recently purchased the birch granola. I didn't realize it at the time, but the product was expired years ago and it was very stale. When I tried to return the product, they couldn't help me. They didn't apologize. They tried to blame the originator of the product and asked if I contacted them. Very disappointing. Will not return. read more

Great Study Spot Happened across this place when looking for a bite to eat on the way to the library to study. Super chill place, with lots of options. Staff was very knowledgable and kind. I will definately be back on a regular basis. read more

Their spices just smell so much fresher than other places, and their loose leaf teas are amazing! The place is gloriously organized, everything is kept spotless, there are plenty of testers for the spices, they have samples of tea you can try, you are allowed to smell any of their teas, they have tastings for many of their products from teas to vinegars to chocolate, they have take home menus for their teas, spices, and class schedules. My big gripe: their vinegars ( although very specialized, they are still just too expensive) and the chocolates are the same way; they are much too expensive. That is the only reason I didn't give 5 stars, because I think the prices on these items could go down significantly, but I'd wager the extra few bucks spent could be well worth it. read more

The employees are pleasant and pretty knowledgeable on the teas they sell. I was hoping for more mango and passion fruit choices. They did have a mango one, but don't like it quite as well as Republic of Tea brand. read more

Wonderful selection of loose leaf teas and spices. The staff is very knowledgeable and helpful, especially if you're having a hard time choosing what you want best. Every product is of High Quality whether its the BBQ sauces, chili powders, Olive Oils and of course the teas. There's even a cozy tea room for you to enjoy. Everything here is just simply amazing! read more

I went in recently with my significant other and a group of friends to get tea and snacks. While the drinks and food were excellent, the customer service was not. The young lady attending the counter made it clear that she was annoyed at having to help us, and seemed in a hurry to get us away from the counter. The products were great, but an excellent/poor experience with staff can make all the difference as to whether or not I'll come in again. read more

if you're anything like my adoring readers and are bored enough to read my other reviews of places, not that I'm complaining but I do think there are better things to do like try these places yourself, then you'll find a pattern of my thoughts on Anchorage. It isn't New York, Boston, Seattle, Hartford, or LA. And when you find a place that specializes in selling Tea, herbs and some products so specialized that you'd rarely find them outside the kitchen of someone that knows what they're doing, you find it only adds to the fact that Anchorage is a city that is in itself, unique. while I've never lived in those other cities or been in them beyond extended visits, anywhere from a few hours to a few weeks, they left enough of an impression on me to say Anchorage is not much like them at all. you don't have to do much more than look at a map to see it's a small city, but as a result of being so far from the rest of the world, it has learned to develop it's own style and means of sustaining what pleasures and luxuries the rest of the world enjoys. Breweries fill the weeks-gap in shipping up booze from the lower 48. Ski resorts (okay, i'm cheating here) have such terrifying drops as to make up for the relatively tiny mountain. Cigar vendors use tobacco grown on the reservations for their product to mitigate shipping costs. Japanese restaurants and Asian grocery stores capitalize on the relative proximity to the Pacific, even if the market for them is much smaller. And this place, holy crap, it's unbelievable this place is even a thing. I'm not exactly a tea-snob, i like my hot water with flavor, i like it scalding hot, and that's where my standards basically end, as long as it's not any of that bigelow bagged crap that tastes like chewed gum. there is a wall of tea leaves, and i mean a wall. you have your standard stuff, green tea, oolong, chamomile, mint. and then they start to blend things. they blend things the way the coffee industry makes mocha, latte, americianos and whatever the hell else all that is. it's delicious. i'm not even going to go into it because there's such a dizzying variety to choose from, but don't let that stop you. the bearded firefly fan, we bonded over my nerdy t-shirts, or any of the other staff will help you out, and they're very good at it. something with a bit of kick to it to get your morning started? a little afternoon tea to get you through the rest of the day? or how about something to replace that nightcap to ween off that mid-week scotch? whatever your tea needs, this place will most definitely get you where you need to be. the mugs, pots and presses would put pottery barn, pier one and bed bath and beyond to shame... probably. and i haven't even touched on the cooking stuff. there's all sorts of jams, jellies, cooking oil, vinegar, condiments of all sorts, stuff that i'm too crappy of a cook to appreciate in the entire other half of the store, i don't mean the tea room, but i'll get to it. oh, the chocolate, ohhhh the chocolate. bottom line, this place has quite a bit for the more esoteric needs of an aspiring cook and tea aficionado. coming through here, hosting a tea party never sounded so exciting... yeah, i know what i said, wanna fight about it? between the chocolates, the teas and tea-related accessories, the means to cook something with a difficult-to-pronounce name, it's all there. on the other hand if you're looking for a cheaper, quieter alternative to coffee, the tea-room is right next door. and no, there is no coffee. it's something like a few bucks for a cup. and if you're tired of writing your novel at the coffee shop, try it here. read more

I love this place. I'm an undergrad student in the states and I always make sure to bring enough tea to last me each semester. Last semester I brought down a pound of the Earl Grey Creme, and my boyfriend and I are down to the last oz. My mom loves the Lady Grey tea, my brother, the Nirvana and Coconut Chais, and my sister the Almond. I also highly recommend both the Carnival Matte tea and their new Banana Bread tea if you are interested in dessert teas. Absolutely divine! read more